


Call Me

by Calico96



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Booksmart pieck and streetsmart porco, College, College AU, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Modern AU, Modern Era, No Proofreading We Die Like Men, Pieck has chronic fatigue, Pieck is Not Like Other Girls, Platonic Romance, Platonic Soulmates, Pokkopikku, Pokopiku, Porco and Pieck living a happy normal life, Porco is a fuckboi, Slow Burn, University AU, there are no titans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:27:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28032372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calico96/pseuds/Calico96
Summary: Porco Galliard is a Uni fresher and Pieck is a hot Masters student that he's too nervous to ask out.Eventual smut but not strictly romantic.
Relationships: Mikasa Ackerman & Annie Leonhart, Mikasa Ackerman/Annie Leonhart, Porco Galliard & Pieck, Porco Galliard/Pieck, Reiner Braun & Bertolt Hoover, Reiner Braun/Bertolt Hoover
Comments: 28
Kudos: 105





	1. Chapter 1

The pair looked down at the broken glass, shattered across the floor.

“Shit, I’m so sorry!” the girl blurted to both Porco and the unfortunate bartender tasked with sweeping up the shards decorating the floor at their feet along with the wet boozy mess in among it. What a waste of a perfectly good whiskey.

“I wasn’t looking where I was going! Here, I’ll get you another drink” she continued, turning back towards the bar and waving her hand to gesture him to follow.

“It’s fine, honestly” Porco laughed to the strange woman who had bumped into him. She was digging through her purse to find some cash and he took the opportunity to steal a glance at her while her attention was elsewhere.

Long black hair framed her small face and trailed down her back in a mess of curls. She had large brown eyes with thick eyelashes and from the looks of it wasn’t wearing much make up – an unusual sight at this particular club, where the usual demographic was the studenty rocker type who would typically be made up to the nines.

She was short, even with heeled boots on, and was wearing a tight red mini dress. The material was noticeably thin and perfectly followed the curvature of her body. Her skin was pale and looked soft. Porco couldn’t help but wonder-

“What can I get you?”  
Her voice spliced through his wandering thoughts and snapped his attention back to the here and now. She was looking at him expectantly along with the bartender. It’s possible she'd asked him already and he’d been too lost in thought to answer.

“Oh, uhh...whiskey and coke,” he said silently praying she hadn’t noticed him checking her out, “please” he added pathetically.  
“You got it,” she smiled as the bartender got to prepping.

“What was your name by the way?” she chipped enthusiastically. The dreaded question.  
“Galliard,” he mumbled somewhat uncomfortably. She nodded and then a lightbulb flashed a  
bove her head as she gasped in recognition.

“Oh my god! Porco Galliard?” she squeaked. He grimaced at the sound of his first name that he despised so much. But wait, how did she know that?  
“We went to school together!” she bellowed excitedly, clearly already tipsy.

Ah. Porco tried to figure out who this supposed childhood peer was but he was drawing a blank.  
“You used to blow spit balls at me and make fun of my nose!” she continued when he said nothing. “You probably don't remember me though, I don't think we ever spoke. How is Marcel doing?” 

The question caught him off guard and tore a hole in his chest. Porco momentarily froze and let the question hang in the air as he stared ahead focusing on the drink the bartender had placed before him.  
The truth was Porco hadn’t heard from his older brother for several years. He wasn’t even sure where Marcel was living anymore and had long since accepted that he'll likely never hear from him again. 

He realised he'd gone uncomfortably long without answering , and the short brunette had clearly caught on that it was a difficult topic and was looking at him sympathetically .   
Determined to ease the tension, he quickly plastered on a smile.

“Oh geez. Uh...I’m sorry. I was such a little asshole as a kid” he apologised sheepishly. Porco couldn't for the life of him remember this girl or why he'd have acted in such a way towards her, but it was pretty on-brand behaviour for baby him.

“Oh my god it’s fine, that was a life time ago!” she said just as sheepish. “I don't even know why I brought that up, I'm pretty tipsy already!” she giggled, her cheeks turning a bright crimson. God she was adorable.

“I never asked you your name. “ he simply said back.   
She smiled wide at him as she slid Porcos drink towards him and picked up her own.

“My name is Pieck” she grinned before bringing her straw to her lips and taking a sip of her cocktail.

“Enjoy your night Porco,” she added with a wink, and sashayed her way back across the club.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My punctuation is all over the place but I'm rusty as hell when it comes to writing.
> 
> I was also hoping to get the whole club scene done in one chapter but I'd rather get little bits out often instead of sitting on a huge piece for weeks. Idk. Lemme know what you all think :)

Porco was enjoying the sight of Pieck walking away, until a familiar and annoying voice pulled his attention away.

“You should have made a move, that girl was pretty cute!” Reiner crooned into his ear, giving him a brash shoulder nudge. It was barely audible over the thumping bass of the club's music but Reiner had always had a certain quality to his voice that could cut through anything.

Porco snatched his drink from the bars surface and took a long sip while running his hand uncomfortably through his blonde, slicked back hair. The two made their way back to the rest of their group who had settled at the seated area near the back of the club.

“Apparently we went to school with her” Porco called to Reiner as he struggled to be heard after the DJ had just started a new song that made the crowd go wild with whoops and screams. 

He curiously scanned the room in the hopes of stealing another glance at Pieck. The club was pretty densely packed, and his view of the room was blocked by clusters of sweaty bodies in motion. 

The group had picked a booth with a table in the corner of the room away from the dance floor, but the club was pretty jam packed and Pieck seemed to be lost to the crowd.

“That was Olivia Pieck” Annie cut in, matter of factly as Porco and Reiner sat down. “She went to Marley Academy with us. She was the one whose mom was fucking Professor Finger the maths tutor, remember? The whole school found out and I think she ended up moving.” She continued.

Never one to miss out on some juicy gossip, it was no surprise to Porco that Annie seemed to know Piecks entire life story.

“Oh damn, I remember that!” Bertolt chimed in, drunkenly waving his drink in the air and managing to slosh it around everywhere soaking the table in strawberry diaquiri. Reiner laughed and scolded Bert, using his sleeve to wipe the table down.

Annie’s story did seem to flick a switch in Porco's mind, and a vague memory surfaced of some school drama that had involved a student’s parent hooking up with and ultimately marrying a teacher. Legend had it that the janitor had one day walked in on them getting nasty in a stock closet, and the student in question was bullied pretty relentlessly for it.

Being a few years younger than the rest of his friend group the memory was definitely not as fresh for him, nor as relevant at the time as he was several grades below his friends. 

He did however, finally remember Olivia Pieck and was able to put a name and face together even if the memory was vague. She'd been a bit of an oddball and he had indeed picked her as target practise for spit balls more than once.

He felt a pang of shame knowing his behaviour had probably contributed to her bullying, and low key hoped Pieck was being sincere when she said there were no hard feelings.

“I swear I remembered her being pretty shy and quiet,” Porco said

“She seemed pretty into you Galliard!” Reiner teased, “She even brought you a drink”. Porco shifted his weight in his seat uncomfortably and he felt his cheeks heat up.

“Oh no it wasn't like that, she bumped into me and I dropped my glass” he protested against the chorus of ooh’s and ahh's. 

His friends all had an annoying fixation on mocking Porco’s success with the ladies (or lack thereof), and seemingly always had the whole time they'd known him.

The group had known each other a long time, as they'd all gone to school together as children but it wasn't actually until the years after that any of them became close. 

Reiner and Bertolt had been childhood sweethearts since forever and used to be good friends with Porco’s brother Marcel. Annie and Marcel very briefly dated before she realised she played for the other team and when Marcel disappeared, the three off them took in Porco as the baby of the group.

The sudden attention had become a little overbearing, so Porco decided to excuse himself to the smoking area.

The cold air against his face was a welcome change to the humid heat of inside, and Porco leaned against the wall before pulling a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket. He pulled one out of the packet and placed one between his lips and as he lit up he let his mind wander.

His first month of university hadn’t been what he'd expected at all. Annie had spent months telling him all about how it’s not so much the course you study that makes it a good experience, but the people you meet, the friends you make, the amazing parties... and yet now that he was here he felt lonelier than ever. Even with his friends inside and being surrounded by others out for fresh air, he felt strangely alienated by the world around him.

Maybe this is just what adulthood is like, he thought to himself. Or maybe it was because he'd enrolled a whole semester into the first year, ever the late bloomer. Whatever it was, Porco prayed the feeling would pass.

“Can I steal one of those?” asked a familiar voice coming from his left. 

His head snapped in the direction of the voice to see Pieck, leaning against the wall next to him and flashing him a smile. She looked slightly more bedraggled than before, and was now barefoot clutching her boots in one hand. She'd clearly been dancing and was a few drinks ahead of Porco, who was still pretty much sober. Grateful for the company, he smiled back and felt his chest flutter.

“Hey Pieck,” he began, and presented his cigarette pack to her. “Sure you can,”

To his surprise instead of reaching for the pack, Pieck gingerly reached out a hand and slowly wrapped her fingers around the half-smoked cigarette resting between his lips. He looked to her hand, then back to her and for the first time the two locked eyes. 

She held his gaze, her eyes dark and full of mystery and a perfect contrast to his piercing green ones. Bringing the cigarette to her mouth she inhaled deeply, and exhaled a plume of smoke from her parted lips. Porcos breath hitched in his chest at the sight.

Still holding his gaze, she offered the cigarette back in what felt like slow motion. His eyes drifted down to it and he noticed a perfect ring of shimmery pink lip gloss that had transferred onto the tip. Almost missing his cue, he reached out to take it back and placed it back into his mouth. 

Somewhat taken back by the weirdly intimate exchange, Porco opted to stop lingering on it before things got uncomfortable.

“Uhh... So I remember you at last,” he simply said, struggling to keep his tone even in spite of his... excitement. “Olivia Pieck, right? You used to pretend to be a cat and hiss at people in the hallways.”

Piecks face lit up and she let out an embarrassed giggle, cupping her hands to her face bashfully.

“Oh god, I think I preferred it when you didn't recall” she quipped, still laughing. Porco couldn't help but let out a laugh too at such a silly memory.

“It’s just Pieck now though,” she added, “kinda like you I guess, Galliard.” 

Porco’s preference to go by his family name of Galliard was mostly out of embarrassment towards his forename. For a family of Italian heritage to name their child after a farm yard animal led to a lot of mockery in his youth. So now he opted to avoid it all together. 

He wondered to himself what was so wrong with the name Olivia that she felt the need to ditch it, but either way their shared preference made him feel somehow understood.

Porco let out a hmm in agreement.

“I really am sorry about making fun of you when we were kids,” he added, changing the subject.

“It’s really fine... I just assumed you were being mean because you had a crush on me,” she purred teasingly. Porco felt his cheeks flush a little. Maybe he didn’t have a crush on her then but she was definitely doing something to him now.

“I also don’t think you have a big nose,” he stammered awkwardly before realising how backhanded he sounded and adding, “I mean, like, your nose is... really beautiful,” Oh god was that too forward? “It suits your face,” He couldn’t stop digging this hole and was now word vomiting. “...which is also nice...” he let his remark hang in the air and staring wide-eyed at the floor, imagined repeatedly punching himself in the face. 

What the fuck was that?

Pieck said nothing and simply booped him on his own nose.

“Boooooop. Your nose is pretty cute too,” she smiled softly. “Are you here alone?” she asked.

Extremely grateful for a change of subject, he pondered her question and motive for asking for a second before simply answering,

“Just here with some friends.”

A faint smile spread across her lips.

“And you?” he asked back.

Her smile turned coy and Pieck leaned closer, right into Porco’s personal space.

“Honestly? I’m here on a crappy date.” 

Why did Porco's heart sink just a little?

“Is that so?” he murmured, his mouth a straight line. Once again Pieck caught his gaze and she looked up at him with those doe eyes.

“He left already though... the date was pretty awful” she said quietly, her eyes glinting with mischief.

“He sounds like a loser.”

Pieck let out a giggle at Porco’s crassness and the sound of it made his heart feel warm.

“It'd be a shame to let that ruin my night though, don’t you think? You never know, I could bump into someone who isn’t a total loser...” she teased, playfully twirling a lock of her hair around her finger.

“Well lucky you,” Porco grinned, “I’m just mostly a loser.”

Pieck grinned back and took Porco by the hand.

“Come get a drink with me?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. I don't feel like my writing was great here but I'll make up for it in the next chapter :)

"More pleeeeease!" Pieck chirped to the bartender, slapping a cash note onto the bar surface haphazardly.

She and Porco were several shot rounds deep by this point and the room had started to go a little wavy, but nonetheless Pieck shoved another bright green shot glass into Porcos reluctant hand.

The night so far had passed by almost like a series of vignettes; some details already forgotten in the alcohol-induced haze. Porco vaguely remembered introducing Pieck to his friends before they eventually left, at some point Pieck had heard a song she liked come on and her and Bert sprang onto the dancefloor and flailed around to it like excited children, she and Porco had several more trips to the smoking area where they'd chatted shit and shared more cigarettes...

"These taste like shit, why do you keep buying them?" He called to her teasingly, struggling to be heard over the blaring music.

"Just drink it you square," she smirked booping the glass closer to his mouth with her pointer finger before downing her own.

Porco had never considered himself a square before, he actually rather enjoyed drinking however his usual drink of choice would be a simple neat whiskey. Nevertheless, he poured the disgusting sour apple flavoured crap into his mouth and successfully avoided wretching as the liquid burned it's way down his throat.

"The drinks may suck but at least the company is good, no?" She smiled, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

She wasn't wrong. Pieck made for interesting company to say the least. Her somewhat chaotic energy aside, she was charismatic and a lot of fun. Seemingly popular too, with many girls and guys alike rushing up to her to say hi over the course of the night. A stark contrast to when Porco knew her as a child.

Porco realised he'd been caught staring again, lost in thought over Pieck's newfound popularity. Thankfully before either could acknowledge the awkward silence, the opening bars of a new song came on and Pieck's face suddenly lit up.

"Oh my god this is my favourite song ever, Galliard you HAVE to come dance with me!" She slurred, gripping his hand and pulling him into the midst of the dancefloor. Too wasted to put up any resistance, he followed. 

[Author's note, the song in question is "Call Me" by Blondie 😏]

Porco was not the dancing type in the slightest but thankfully Pieck was hyped enough for them both, and all he had to really do was hold both her hands as she jumped and swayed around, screeching along with the songs lyrics. Occasionally she'd switch to wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest, giggling in bemusement at how drunk she was.

Porco put a gentle hand around her waist and rested his chin on the top of her head, a giggle fit of his own escaping him. He smiled a real, genuine smile for the first time in a long time.

\------

At the songs end, the club lights came up signifying the end of the nights festivities. The remaining stragglers who had made it to the end of the night slowly began to make for the exit like a hoarde of the undead - too trashed to function.

"Do you live far from here?" Porco asked, zipping up his green bomber jacket. "Will you get home okay?"

Pieck nodded sleepily, stifling a yawn.

"Yeah I live in a student house, over at the Fritz building - how about you?" She asked, nearly tripping over her feet.

They were both rather drunk, but it looked like Pieck was a little more worse for wear than Porco was. She was staggering more than a little and by the looks of it had a bit too much. Fortunately though, Porco also lived at the Fritz building.

Since it was only a short walk, the pair journeyed home on foot. Upon stepping out into the bitterly cold 4am air, Pieck began to shudder having only her thin satin dress as insulation.

"Here," Porco began, unzipping his jacket, removing it and placing it over Pieck's shoulders. She was quite considerably smaller than him, and the jacket easily engulfed her petite frame. 

"Thanks Galliard!", She squeaked, and slipped her arms into the comedically oversized sleeves, the ends reaching far past her hands and looking like little paws.

Porco took in the sight of her once more. Seeing her standing in nothing but a very short dress and his jacket making him blush ever so slightly. It had rained earlier in the night and the humid morning mist made Pieck's long dark hair cling to face. She sure was a sight.

Struggling to walk still, Porco supported Pieck's weight with an arm around her waist and helped keep her upright long enough to get to the Fritz building.

"What floor are you, Pieck?" He asked. Her eyes had began to flutter closed and Porco was sure the girl was moments away from falling asleep in the elevator.

"Hmmmm...four," she whispered softly, as if in a dream.

"I'm on five but I'm gonna walk you to your room, okay?" He asked, being cautious not to overstep a mark but also wanting to ensure she got there safely.

Pieck simply smiled and nodded as a response, her eyes half lidded. At that same moment her legs gave way beneath her and Porco just managed to grab her in time before she crumpled to the floor completely.

"S-sorry.... Porco!" she murmered, letting her body press on his as he pulled her upright. 

"Are you okay?" He panicked, scanning her face for any sign that she might be aware of what's going on.

"Heheh...sorry," she giggled to herself, resting her head on his chest.

They reached the fourth floor and not wanting to risk Pieck faceplanting the ground, Porco picked her up into his arms and carried her to her door.

She fumbled clumsily through her purse to find her key, and before unlocking her door she looked up to face him.

"Y'know you don't have to go home..." She began, eyes fixing on his suggestively. "You can stay if you want to."

Porco felt a stab of want in his chest. Pieck was beautiful and he would love nothing more than to spend the night with her, but Pieck was clearly wasted. He wasn't about to take advantage of a girl who could hardly walk. 

Taking a deep breath, he returned her gaze and softly tucked a strand of hair behind Pieck's ear.

"It's not that I don't want to..." he murmered. "Another time maybe."

Pieck nodded, slightly crestfallen. 

"Do you have a pen?" He asked her.

Ince again she fumbled through her bag and pulled out a sharpie, presumably that she'd brought to graffiti the club's toilet cubicles.

Porco took it from her, and scrawled his phobe number onto the back of Pieck's hand.

"You can call me if you wanna." He said simply. Embarrassed at the thought of her declining, he turned on his heel and headed off to his room before she had a chance to.

"Goodnight Pokko!!!" She slurred inappropriately loud down the hallway after him.

As Porco settled into bed later that night, he realised that Pieck was still wearing his jacket.

"Fuck."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry again for any grammar mistakes!
> 
> Any feedback is greatly appreciated 👉🏻👈🏻

The next morning, Porco stirred awake sometime well into the afternoon. As he made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth he allowed his memories of last night to replay - mostly those involving the unusual but charming Pieck.

He examined his reflection in the mirror, his hazel eyes slightly bloodshot from lack of restful sleep and his hair dishevilled and stuck to his face with sweat. He looked like crap, but it was worth it for the fun he'd had.

Especially considering he'd been anticipating a crappy, uneventful night. His mind harkened back to his missing jacket. It was a favourite of his, but in his drunken state he forgot to get Pieck's phone number when he gave her his meaning it was up to her to contact him to give it back.

"Fuck," he muttered to himself.

This did provide a glimmer of hope however, because this could provide an excellent excuse to see Pieck again. Porco tried to control the building feeling of butterflies at the thought of getting to see her a second time - but he couldn't deny he wanted to.

After he climbed out of the shower, he picked up his phone, and as if his mind had been read - there was a text message alert on the screen. Porcos heart skipped a beat and he practically poked a whole in his phone when tapping "open":

'Hey Galliard, thank you so much for making sure I got home safe last night 😊😊😊 I had so much fun! - Pieck x'

Porcos face began to feel warm as he eagerly typed out his response.

'No need to thank me Pieck. I had a great night too :)'

He pressed send and immediately panicked that he'd replied too soon. 

"Will I look desperate if I message back in seconds? Oh god she's gonna think I'm pathetic."

Thankfully, within seconds Pieck had sent a message back already.

'Do you have lectures today porky?'

'****pock omg'

'FUCK' 

'Just shoot me 💀💀💀'

Porco let a smile spread across his face at her goofiness, secretly relieved he didn't have to play it cool as much now.

'Hahahaha 🤣 I don't, it's my day off how about you?'

'Ooh well in that case...'

'Meet me for a coffee or the jacket gets it' Attached to the message was a photo of Porco's jacket folded neatly, with Pieck making a gun shape with her thumb and pointer finger, aimed at it.

'I don't usually negotiate with criminals, but you got a deal'

\--------------------------------------

Porco made his way to the small coffee shop based just outside of the student's union and as he turned the corner, there she was.

Pieck smiled brightly, her long back hair tied back into a low, messy bun. A few loose strands framed her face, which today hadn't been adorned with any make up. She wore a large, oversized knitted jumper with a long skirt that went down to her ankles - a stark contrast to all the skin she had on show the previous night.

In one hand she held Porco's jacket, and her other hand was holding onto the grip of a forearm crutch. She offered the jacket to him and greeted him warmly.

"I believe this is yours," she smiled.

Porco eyed her mobility aid curiously, momentarily forgetting to take his jacket from Pieck's outstretched hand. Following his gaze to her other hand, Pieck chuckled slightly.

"Chronic fatigue," she explained simply. "I had a bit too much fun last night and now I'm paying for it. My legs just get really tired sometimes if I over do it." 

"Shit Pieck, is it because of last night? I'm sorry I had no idea!" Porco said, slightly fumbling his words with how quick he tried apologising.

"Don't be silly, Galliard! I had a really great time, I wouldn't change a thing!" She said, gesturing for them to step inside the coffee shop.

Once they found a table and were seated, Porco insisted Pieck rest her legs while he went to order their drinks. Porco went for his usual order of a simple black coffee with no sugar, and Pieck had written him her order on a napkin - a large chocolate frappucino with two pumps of caramel syrup, one pump vanilla, soy milk, with dairy-free whipped cream and some chocolate powder on top. And a fistful of sugar sachets. Not even willing to attempt reading the ridiculously extra order out loud, Porco simply handed the shopping list of ingredients to the barista.

Pieck's face lit up at the sight of her drink as Porco carried it over.

"Oh Porco, what a saint you are getting me my favourite drink!" she squealed, delighted.

"I even know CPR so I can resuscitate you after the heart attack that thing is gonna give you," he quipped, grinning ever so slightly.

The two chatted for a brief time, mostly about how much they'd enjoyed eachothers company the previous night, and eventually talk let to the university they both attended.

"So what are you studying?" Porco asked.

"Forensic science," Pieck smiled. Porco couldn't help but cock an eyebrow in surprise.

"Oh...wow. That's not what I was expecting,"

"I'm not just a pretty face, Galliard," she said in a mockingly incredulous tone, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers and fluttering her eyelashes. Porco laughed. "I'm getting my master's this year and eventually I'll be investigating crime scenes for a living!" She beamed, proudly. She looked so enthused talking about her future, Porco could immediately tell she was passionate about her goal.

"That's amazing, Pieck," he said, and then cast his eyes downward. "I still don't have a clue what I want to do with my life so it's great that you've got all that figured out." A slight moroseness escaped in his voice that he hadn't intended to let out, and he shot Pieck an apologetic glance.

Pieck reached out over the table and placed her hand over Porcos sympathetically, gently running her thumb over his knuckles. Her hand was cold but incredibly soft, in stark contrast to his hands which were rough and worn from years of using tools and machinery.

"You'll figure it out, you just gotta find something you're crazy about and pursue it. And it's okay if finding that thing takes a while!"

"Thanks," Porco smiled, letting her words comfort him and returning her gesture by giving her hand a light squeeze.

"So how come you're just going by Pieck now?" He asked.

"It's a bit of a long story," she said softly, casting her eyes down. "But my mother remarried after my father died, and I couldn't stand the guy - he was a teacher at our school" she said forcing a half smile. "She took his last name and expected me to do the same but I refused. I went out of my way to introduce myself as 'Olivia Pieck' for years and eventually it turned into just 'Pieck'. My own little way of honouring my dad's memory I guess" she shrugged, trying to look nonchalant but a certain sadness glinted in her eyes as she spoke.

"I'm really sorry to hear that, Pieck" Porco said quietly.

"Oh well," she said, gesturing flippantly and fixing a smile onto her face once more. "How about you, Galliard?"

"I just hate my first name," he said with an eyeroll. "My parents named me after a fucking pig they used to keep on the family farm, it doesn't get more insulting than that!" He laughed, and Pieck let out a giggle too.

"Oh god that makes it so much worse that my autocorrect called you 'Porky'" Pieck lamented, covering her face with her hands in embarrassment. The pair laughed again.

Suddenly Porco felt a vibration from his phone and, briefly excusing himself, he pulled it out of his pocket to see a text from Annie.

'Having a little gathering at Bert and Reiner's place later this evening. Nothing crazy, just some movies and drinks - you in?'

'Sorry Annie, I'm hanging out with Pieck right now so not sure I'll make it.'

'Galliard you absolute fuckboy!! Should've at least brought her dinner first 😤'

Porco let out a little snort laugh at Annie's assumption, leading to an inquisitive look from Pieck across the table.

'Not what I meant. I'll catch you guys next time.'

'Just bring her along dude. I'm bringing a friend too.'

Porco paused thoughtfully and nervously began, "Hey Pieck... my friends that you met yesterday are hanging out tonight...would you like to come with?"

Worried she'd be taken back by his forwardness, Porco once again felt his cheeks begin to burn and he swallowed hard.

"Galliard, are you asking me on a date?" She teased.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the sweet feedback and comments I've had on this fic so far - it really motivates me to keep going!
> 
> I opted to elaborate on Pieck's mobility issues a little in this chapter - That's purely self indulgent because I have fibromyalgia and I love that Pieck canonically occasionally uses crutches to walk like I do lmao. It's something about her that tends to get written out of most fics so I wanted to include it here even though it's an AU where there are no titan shifters. Its not gonna be a major plot point moving forward but I just wanted to include it.
> 
> Also there's a little bit in here that was heavily inspired by a pokopiku fan art I saw on Twitter but I don't know who the artist was - if anyone knows the name of the artist who made the comic of porco accidentally walking in on Pieck half naked please let me know so I can credit them! 😊
> 
> Finally just wanted to disclaim that I'm from the UK and even though I try my best to use the US spellings and names for certain things (like an elevator instead of a lift 😂) to make it easier for people who speak English as a second language I may end up switching between the two sometimes - sorry!

With a few hours to kill before needing to be at Annie's, Porco and Pieck headed home for a bit after they finished their coffee.

The walk back from the student union took a little longer than Porco's journey there on account of Pieck's limited mobility. She shuffled along beside him, leaning on her crutch for support. Occasionally she'd ask to stop for a minute to sit or lean against a wall when the pain in her legs became too much but Porco didn't mind. He'd sit with her for as long as she needed and offer a hand to pull her to her feet.

"Sorry Porco, you know you can go ahead of me if I'm slowing you down - I really don't mind!" Pieck apologised profusely, brushing some dirt from the floor off of her skirt.

"Stop apologising, Pieck. You don't have to be sorry for being in pain." Porco said simply.

Pieck said nothing, and blushing ever so slightly continued moving.

"So how long have you been dealing with this?" Porco asked, following behind her.

"I was likely just born this way, but the chronic pain and tiredness didn't really set in until my teens. Some days I can do nothing but lay down and my body will still feel like I've ran a marathon."

Finally at the Fritz building, the pair made their way in.

"Being on the fourth floor and all, I'm just glad this place has a-"

The elevator was out of order.

"FUCK," Pieck growled in frustration.

"God damnit," Porco muttered. He wasn't about to let Pieck climb all those stairs on her crutch, so having a bright idea he wordlessly picked Pieck up and threw her over his shoulder fireman-style.

Pieck shrieked out loud in surprise and barely had time to grab her crutch before it fell to the floor as Porco began the journey up the staircase.

"Porco Galliard! If you're going to man handle me at least buy me dinner first!" She squeaked over her shoulder to him.

Porco snorted, the second time he'd heard that joke today.

"I brought you a coffee, remember?" He quipped in his signature deadpan-but-joking sort of way.

Pieck giggled but continued licking her feet and trying to wiggle free from his grasp.

"You're gonna kill yourself trying to carry me the whole way!"

She was probably right, by this point Porco was already exhausted. His heart was pounding and his arms were growing tired but like hell was he going to let Pieck see that. 

Scrambling for something impressive to say, he settled on blurtingout the first thing to come to mind.

"I've bench pressed weights that weigh more than you do,"

Porco immediately cringed at himself internally, realising how stupid he sounded. Behind him, Pieck erupted into laughter.

"BrUh, I cAn BeNcH hEaViEr ThAn YoU," Pieck mocked in her best macho voice. "You're such a fuckboy Porco," she cackled.

At last, Pieck's front door came into view and right before Porco's spirit left his body from fatigue he gently placed her down.

"Thank you, Galliard," she said sheepishly. "I shouldn't be too long getting ready, maybe an hour and a half tops,"

"Alrighty then, I'll pick you up at eight," Porco teased.

"You should go shower, you're all sweaty," Pieck added with a wink before heading inside.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

At precisely ten minutes past eight (fashionably late as ever), Porco knocked on Pieck's door nervously. After showering extra thoroughly just incase, he'd made the mistake of napping before getting dressed and as a result he'd been late.

"Hey, Pieck are you there?"

"I'm in here, Galliard! The door is unlocked!" Pieck chirped.

Porco pushed the handle and to his absolute shock and bewilderment was greeted by the sight of Pieck in nothing but her underwear just as she was finishing up fastening her bra.

"JESUS, PIECK!" Porco yelled, bring up a hand to cover his face as he averted his eyes. "You could have told me if you weren't dressed!"

"You didn't ask me if I was dressed, you asked if I was here," she said matter-of-factly as she stepped into a dress and pulled it up over herself. It was a little more modest than the one she'd worn to the club, unlike the red satin of the previous night, this dress was baby blue and a stretchy cotton kind of material. 

Porco blushed furiously and stumbled for some kind of witty retort but technically she was right.

"What's the matter, never seen a half naked lady before?" Pieck teased, putting on a large cardigan.

Porco's first instinct was to defend his dignity by blurting out that ACTUALLY he'd seen plenty - which was true. Porco was a good looking guy and when the mood took him he'd rarely struggled finding some female company for a night or two.

Since he'd began his studies in Liberio he'd had his fair share of hook ups, all of which were with women who had been nice enough. Yet not a single encounter had been enough to chip away at the crippling loneliness he'd been feeling for the last few months.

In all honesty, Porco found sex pleasurable only in a numbing kind of way - like running a burn under cold water. It's relieving but only temporarily, because once you stop it'll just feel scorching hot again. At best, it was a coping mechanism that made him feel a very momentary feeling of connection with another human being, but once he was back home and alone in his own bed the loneliness would creep back in.

Realising that once again he'd got lost in thought instead of replying, he settled on playing it cool and making a simple dig as a response to Pieck's question.

"I don't see any ladies anywhere," he taunted, taking a seat on Pieck's bed, picking up the sweater she'd been wearing earlier and throwing it across the room at her. Hitting the target perfectly, it caught her square in the face.

Pieck let out a dramatic scream as she wrestled the sweater off her and fixed her hair which had gotten messed up in the process.

"Shut your mouth and get me down these stairs already," she grinned.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm aware my chapters are super short, I'm sorry 😭 I just have a teeny tiny attention span. On the plus side though, the next chapter will bring the first glimpse of smut for this fic 👁👄👁
> 
> Also I love Hitch as a character so much and I have a headcanon that she'd be a kind of Regina George-esque party girl IRL so I had to put her in here somewhere hehehe. I also love the trope of an ex trying to make the new partner jealous and them not caring lmaooo.
> 
> Also I'm on Instagram as the-snoot-titan, I mostly shitpost on there or post rly cursed snk memes but if anyone wants to be mutuals feel free to hmu on there 👉🏻👈🏻
> 
> Once again thank you all so much for taking the time to read this and especially for leaving comments and feedback it gives me so much serotonin so ty 👐😇

It turned out, exactly as expected, that Annie's idea of a "little gathering" wasn't all that little. The large flat she shared with Reiner and Bert was teeming with people, some Porco recognised and some he didn't. 

With the three of them being enrolled onto the university's prestigious Wings of Freedom programme on full scholarships, they had the privilege of being accommodated in the Reiss building - the fanciest halls of residence in Liberio. While over at the Fritz building students pay an arm and a leg for a tiny matchbox of a studio apartment, the WoF students are placed in large shared homes free of charge. 

Porco couldn't help but seethe a little every time he came to visit. Was it jealousy? Probably. Being primarily a sports programme for elite athletes, only a select few are accepted into the ranks every few years - and Porco hadn't made the cut.

On arrival, Porco shook the thought from his head and greeted his friends with as much warmth as he could muster.

"Just a little gathering then, Annie?" he said wryly, handing her the bottle of whiskey he'd brought as a gift.

"It was little when I asked you along, but the guys invited a few more people afterwards," she smirked. Like Porco, Annie wasn't exactly a big crowds type of person but after a few drinks she could grin and bare it.

Out of all of his friends he got along with Annie best. They both shared slightly darker personalities than Reiner and Bert, and a general dislike for people unlike the other two who thrived on attention.

"Hey Pieck, thanks for coming!" Annie smiled.

"Thanks for inviting me," Pieck beamed, holding out a bottle of red wine to her.

The pair made their way inside and Reiner and Bert came to greet them. Bert yelled Pieck's name and immediately wrapped her up in a bear hug - the two apparently thick as thieves already after spending so much time dancing together back at the bar.

"Hey Galliard," Reiner said playfully punching Porco in the arm with a little too much force.

"Don't fucking touch me Braun," he replied giving him the finger. He'd said it in jest but they both knew deep down he really did mean it. 

Their friendship with eachother had been a strained one for a long time. It started when Reiner beat him into a space on the program but their rivalry reached fever pitch at Marcel's disappearance. Although nobody ever found out why Marcel had decided to just up and leave one night, the pair both blamed eachother for driving him away. 

On the flipside the two also kept eachother around because they reminded one another of him. Marcel's brother and Marcel's best friend - they both made eachother feel somehow closer to him despite their mutual resentment. It was like the two were stuck in a relationship that was both symbiotic and toxically co-dependant. 

Banishing all thoughts of Reiner to the back of his mind, Porco led Pieck by the hand through to the living room to one of the sofas where they sat down. Observing the room there were around 20 guests in total, some were easily recognisable as old friends and acquaintances from school but many were WoF students that Porco didn't know at all. 

Annie came and plonked herself down on the sofa with them, handing each a glass of wine before taking a swig straight from the bottle. 

"Don't look so grumpy, Porco" Annie whined. "Its gonna be a fun night I promise."

After a like while of letting all the guests mingle, Bertholdt climbed up on the coffee table and began banging on a wine glass with a spoon theatrically to get everybody's attention.

"Attention! Attention please guys, we're almost ready to begin the first game of the night so please find a seat!" He bellowed excitedly.

Porco looked around the room as the swarms of bodies came to be seated. The living room comprised of a large corner sofa with a smaller one beside it, and all around the room were mismatched chairs and a few bean bags and pillows all haphazardly thrown around to form a very rough looking circle.

In amongst the sea of bodies, Porco was able to distinguish a familiar face. A tall and slender woman with short, dirty-blonde hair and a heart shaped face. Unmistakable sapphire coloured eyes with long lashes found their way to his and held his gaze briefly, before the woman excitedly rushed over to him.

Shit. Please don't let it be-

"Porcooooo!" She called out, grinning mischivously.

Porco sighed in defeat, rubbing his temples in frustration.

"Hello Hitch," he practically groaned.

Hitch parked herself onto the arm of the sofa and leaned over him, uncomfortably close.

"How are you holding up, mister?" Her voice had a thinly-veiled tinge of spite to it, presumably at seeing that Porco had brought female company tonight. Although not the jealous type, Hitch did have a love for drama and an annoying proclivity for stirring the pot. This situation just got the potential to be very messy.

"Oh...ya know, same old," he said casually, trying his best not to give her anything to rise to.

"Actually I wouldn't know, because you never called me back Porco," she snarked, her face a perfect picture of calm but her voice dripping with venom.

Porco felt his face burning in embarrassment. Not out of pity for himself, but moreso for Annie and more importantly Pieck who were both right there witnessing all of this. 

Hitch was telling the truth, but in Porco's defence he just really wasn't interested in her. The two had one meaningless drunken hook up and that was it, there was no reason for them to stay in touch after. He also knew that Hitch wasn't interested in him either - she'd told him as much immediately after the deed as she got dressed to leave - but it seemed like she was playing the heartbreak card to humiliate him.

When he didn't answer, Hitch turned her attention to the strange looking girl sat next to him with dark circles under her eyes and hair that was straggly and unbrushed. Her features were large and unusual but Hitch had to admit that the girl was still rather beautiful in a classic, old-timey kind of way. Beautiful but clearly very tired. After looking Pieck up and down for a moment, Hitch simply said,

"Watch out for him, girl, he's not one of the good ones" before turning on her heel and sashaying off.

Porco sat staring off into the void for a moment, his ego absolutely decimated at Hitch's cheap shots. He sat and wished for nothing more than the ground to swallow him up. He could feel Pieck's eyes on him and took a deep breath, preparing for whatever she was about to say.

Instead, all she did was let out a snort and started laughing.

"A former conquest of yours, Pokko?" She giggled rapturously, poking him in his button nose.

Porco's embarrassment burned white hot and he folded his arms and frowned.

"Oh don't be grumpy! I think she seemed really nice," Pieck said sarcastically.

"Pieck, uhh...it really wasn't like th-"

"Oh shush, silly!" she said softly, brushing her hand against his blushing cheek. "I think its cute that she likes you so much," she added teasingly, squishing his face with her hand.

"On that note," Annie said casually, pulling herself up to stand up, "I'm gonna go get another drink."


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took a few days off writing whole I moved but I'm back! ^_^ Here's my latest offering, I hope you all like it!
> 
> When starting this I had kinda intended for it to be like smutty with minimum plot but I ended up going on a huge tangent with world building and dealing with Porco's grief so here we are, seven chapters in and FINALLY we get a kiss.
> 
> As always I didn't proofread so sorry for any typos or autocorrects lmaooo
> 
> Enjoy 😊💖

Porco excused himself to the bathroom, still kind of mortified at the scene Hitch had caused and not quite ready to look Pieck in the eye yet.

Would she not want to be around him now? She'd been very calm and bemused at the whole situation but Porco suspected Pieck was type who observed and thought more than she spoke. Cogs were probably turning in her head right this minute. Porco frowned sullenly.

He'd only known Pieck a very short time, but already the thought of losing her respect made his heart sink. 

He observed himself in the mirror, his cheeks bright red still in embarassment. The flourescent lights were harshly bright and exaggerated how pale Porco had gone. His hazel-green eyes looked abnormally vivid in comparison, the browner parts almost looked gold.

He ran some cold water and splashed it over his face, desperately trying to bring his cheeks back to a normal colour. He ran his wet hands through his hair and sighed. 

Leaving the restroom, he was about to head back to the commotion in the front room however his gaze turned to the nearby hallway. Down a short passageway were four doors, each labelled from A to D.

They were the bedrooms of the house's inhabitants, A belonging to Annie, B for Reiner, C for Bertoldt...and D - the room that Marcel had once occupied. 

Before he knew it, Porco had already drifted over to Marcels room and cracked the door open. For a while his room had remained exactly as Marcel had left it the day he vanished, but eventually Porco's parents came and collected all of Marcel's belongings.

All that remained now was an empty skeleton of a room - a single bed, small wardrobe and a desk. Blank. Generic. There were no hints or Marcel remaining here anymore. 

Porco's chest tightened, his heart heavy. In all honesty, even after two years Porco hadn't given himself the time or space to mourn the loss of his brother. He couldn't. He'd needed to stay strong for the rest of his family, so all of the grief and hurt was buried away. 

Sometimes he thought of it like pandora's box, and if he as much as cracked it open the smallest bit all of his repressed feelings would explode out of it at once.

Porco missed his brother so dearly. He never found out why he left, where he went or whether there was a chance he was still alive. What would he have been like now, as a grown man?

"I was beginning to worry you'd fallen down the toilet or something," a voice interrupted. Porco jumped with a start and turned around to see Pieck stood in the doorway.

"Annie said you'd most likely be in here," Pieck continued, closing the door behind her. She eyed Porco curiously, picking up on the sombre mood of the room.

"Pieck..." he murmered softly, racing to dry his eyes with the back of his sleeve before she had a chance to see the tears that had begun pooling there.

Realising that she'd caught him in a vulnerable moment, Pieck instinctively shot towards him and wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

"Is it what that girl said to you?" She asked, her warm brown eyes wide with concern. 

Porco was too ashamed to meet her gaze and shook his head with a faint sniffle. Pieck was so small compared to him, her head only just level with his chest. He wrapped his arms around her in return and pulled her in close resting his forehead against hers.

"This used to be my brothers room" He said simply, his voice catching in his throat slightly.

Pieck looked up at him. They were close enough that Porco could feel the warmth of her breath on his lips.

"Marcel?"

He hummed softly in response. Pieck hesitated before prying, but couldn't help herself.

"What happened to him?"

Porco sighed and ran his hand through his hair, unintentionally pulling a few stray strands out of place as he made his way over to the bed and took a seat. Pieck followed suit, folding one leg over the other and angling her body towards Porco.

"Missing, presumed dead. It's been nearly three years now."

Porco's heart was a brick - he couldn't remember the last time he'd spoken aloud about what happened to Marcel. Pieck clasped her hands over both of his.

"I'm so sorry, Porco" she whispered. "I can't even imagine."

Along with his grief Porco was also feeling residual embarrassment from earlier in the evening and a touch of new embarrassment for sitting there on the brink of tears, with Pieck, at a party he'd invited her to. 

His train of thought was dashed by Pieck's hand on his face, lightly caressing him. His eyes met hers and she looked back at him with reassurance and for the first time in forever Porco felt safe enough to emote.

Something about Pieck's aura was soothing to Porco. She had a maturity to her from her own life experiences that meant Porco didn't need to worry about her thinking less of him for being vulnerable. 

"Its okay..." Pieck cooed softly. She pulled Porco in close, resting his head on her chest and tenderly planted a soft kiss onto his temple. Her other hand was still tightly squeezing his. 

Never having been treated so softly before Porco initially froze against Pieck's touch, but as she stroked his head and grazed his hairline with her lips he found himself melting against her. He allowed his eyes to flutter closed and finally, for the tears in his eyes to pour over.

"Oh Porco."

Hearing Pieck whisper her name so intimately into his ear made all the hair on his body stand on end. He found himself suddenly hyper aware of his face's newfound proximity to Pieck's (very soft) chest and became embarassed all over again. A light sob almost escaped him but he was able to subdue it before he spoke.

"I'm so sorry, Pieck." Porco sniffled. "I'm not usually this morbid at parties I swear," he added with a hint of a smile. Pieck smiled too, he could hear it in her voice. 

"You have nothing to apologise for," she assured, pulling him up to face her again and kissing the dampened skin around his eyes. 

Porco took a moment to really look at Pieck, like he had when he first laid eyes on her. She had such a kindness to her face, beautiful empathetic eyes and a lazy lopsided smile. He felt so safe with her. So understood.

He brought his hand up to her face now and cupped her cheek gently. His thumb migrated down towards her lips, softly parting them open.

Before he had a chance to talk himself out of it, he brought his lips down onto hers. Her mouth was warm and wet and welcomed him gratefully. A soft noise escaped him, his hand still on her face and he began gently running his fingers through her hair. Pieck's hand migrated to Porco's waist, pulling his body flush against hers.

Porco basked in the warmth of Pieck's body, and in her softness. Her skin was like silk under his rough, calloused hands and her lips were so unbelievably smooth against his. Everything about her was intoxicating, and with each meeting of their lips a current of electricity shot through them both. He was surprised when Pieck opened her mouth wider and introduced her tongue, desperatefuly pulling him even closer and throwing him off balance.

Before he knew it Pieck had perfectly manuovered him on top of her and she'd thrown herself back to lay in the bed. Porco happily went along with it and brought his face to hers again, leaving a trail of kisses from her lips to her hairline to her jaw and down her neck.

"Galliard..." She moaned quietly, setting the growing tightness in his pants in fire.

"Pieck," he murmered, softly biting the delicate skin of her earlobe which made her gasp.

"Please, Porco...touch me," Pieck breathed.

Needing no more persuasion Porco's hands raced to the buttons on Pieck's dress, clumsily battling to get them open and expose Pieck's bare chest beneath.

Before he had a chance to complete the task however, the dulcet tones of Porco's favourite voice cut through the action.

"Room for one more?" Reiner teased.

Porco's head shot up and instinctively his hand raced to cover Pieck's modesty, prompting a bemused laugh from her.

"Reiner!" he bellowed through gritted teeth.

"Relax, I'm kidding" he said, shit-eating grin firmly plastered across his mouth. "Just close the damn door next time."

And with that, the door slammed shut with a thud.

Porco and Pieck looked at each other quietly, the room now in total silence save for the pair's heavy breathing. Not sure whether to keep going now that Reiner had killed the mood, Porco scanned Pieck's face for a cue on what to do.

Pieck smiled up at him and sighed happily, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and out of her face.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this here, hmm?"

With a sigh of defeat, Porco let his face fall into Pieck's cleavage.

"Can we stay here a little longer at least?" his muffled voice garbled pleadingly. Pieck giggled again, wrapping her arms around him.

"Ofcourse."


End file.
